|
The best break from the Northern Hemisphere’s winter
doldrums—a pair of annual Miami boat shows—is getting an unexpected lift
this year from Hurricane Wilma. That unwelcome visitor to last fall’s Fort
Lauderdale show disrupted the show schedule—and South Florida life in
general—causing a decline in exhibitors and customers alike. Now, many marine
equipment suppliers, boat builders, dealers and brokers are gearing up for even
greater efforts at the Miami shows.
February 16 to 20, the waters of Biscayne Bay and Indian Creek
will be the yachting world’s global center of activity as the National Marine
Manufacturers Association (NMMA) brings to town more than 2,300 of the world’s
leading marine manufacturers displaying the newest production powerboats,
engines and accessories on more than 2.5 million square feet of exhibition space
in and around the Miami Beach Convention Center and the Sea Isle Marina &
Yachting Center across the causeway on Biscayne Boulevard. The latest in
sailboats and related accessories will display at Strictly Sail Miami, the
sail-only portion of the show located at Miamarina in Bayside, just north of the
city’s downtown financial district.
Also on Miami Beach, what began as an unofficial brokerage show
in 1988 has grown into the Yacht & Brokerage Show on Collins Avenue. This
totally in-water presentation staged by Kaye Pearson’s ShowManagement covers
more than 1.2 million square feet of floating dockage on Indian Creek and will
feature 550 new and pre-owned vessels up to 160 feet in length. New this year is
a 30,000-square-foot, air-conditioned floating pavilion featuring a wide array
of builders, designers, accessories and services. While the shows remain
unaffiliated, their effect is undeniably symbiotic, and together they create an
enormous draw.
The Miami International Boat Show’s Big Game Room (BGR) at the
convention center will feature celebrity anglers, fishing tournament
organizers, boat manufacturers, blue-water tackle manufacturers, conservation
groups, artists and representatives from various resorts and fishing
destinations from all over the world. Educational activities are also planned.
Check out the Marlin Bar—an entertainment, networking and meeting area—and a
free virtual billfish tournament, where you can compete against others or simply
experience the thrill of landing a fighting sailfish!
A special section of the BGR will focus on shallow-water
fishing with flats boat, tackle and accessory manufacturers representing their
products. INSIDER'S GUIDE TO GETTING AROUND MIAMI For a big city, Miami is notoriously short on mass transit.
Hotels and show organizers try to make up for this by operating shuttle
services. Trying to flag down a taxi can be a frustrating experience—each show
venue has at least one taxi cue, and taxi drivers are told to respect this
method of picking up passengers.
Photograph by Dana Jinkins. ( Click image to enlarge)
Alternatively—and especially on Collins Avenue—cross the
street to any of the oceanfront hotels and ask the doorman to whistle for a cab.
If you want to park near the convention center, get there before breakfast! A
clever option is to park in the Omni Parking Garage opposite the Sea Isle
Yachting Center on Biscayne Boulevard. It has easier access to I-95, and after
viewing the yachts docked there, you can relax on the air-conditioned free bus
ride to the convention center, where you’ll also find free shuttles to the
Collins Avenue Yacht & Brokerage Show. Many of the biggest brokerage and
charter firms also operate VIP shuttle service for their clients.
|
; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
Email This
Printer Friendly Version
Reprints & Permissions
Most Popular Searches